1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and to an activation device for activating a personal protection device for a motorcycle, to a corresponding computer program product, to a personal protection system, to a motorcycle having a personal protection system, and to a method for producing a motorcycle having a personal protection device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Motorcycles are by far the most dangerous motorized mode of transportation. This is clear from a comparison of the accident statistics for motorized two-wheeled vehicles and automobiles. Thus, the GIDAS (German In-Depth Accident Study) database indicates that for motorcyclists the risk of suffering a severe or fatal accident is about 16 times greater than it is for automobile occupants. This is due, inter alia, to the different driving physics and the constantly labile state of equilibrium, and to the particular physical and mental stress placed on motorcyclists. In addition, motorcycles do not have a protective body structure. In collisions or crashes, motorcyclists are unprotected traffic participants, despite protective clothing.
Although in recent years great progress has been made in the area of passive safety in passenger cars, in particular through the introduction of airbags, until now motorcyclists have seen little benefit from these developments. This is due not least to the ongoing lack of prevalence of passive safety systems in motorcycles. Passive safety systems for motorized two-wheeled vehicles are largely limited to personal protective equipment of the rider, such as helmet or clothing, and passive constructive elements on the motorcycle, such as safety bars. Systems such as airbags or safety belts having belt tighteners, long part of the minimal equipment in passenger cars, are still not universally standard series production equipment in motorcycles.
Published German patent application document DE 197 29 627 A1 describes a conventional safety system for a motorcycle. This is the only airbag system for motorcycles obtainable in current production.
All conventional systems have in common that they are situated between the passenger and the front windshield of the vehicle, and that the airbag is deployed from the tank or from a module situated behind the front windshield.